Wrench

ABSTRACT

A wrench or tool, of the type disclosed in U.S. patents to Mueller et al., No. 2,829,429, granted Apr. 8, 1958 and Smith No. 3,038,484 granted June 12, 1962, and wherein the rod portion, which is operatively connectable to the part, or structure to be manipulated, in the pressure chamber, is detachably connected to the piston-carrying plunger and a tubular sleeve is also detachably connected to the plunger in surrounding relation to the rod portion defining an annular passageway communicating with a chamber on one side of the piston whereby pressure from the region being worked will be utilized to assist positioning and operation of the wrench. The rod portion is solid, and the tubular sleeve is arranged coaxially therewith.

United States Patent 9/1966 Leopold,.lr.etal..........

Primary Examiner-William F. ODea [72] Inventors Wilbur R. Le0pold,Jr.;

John J. Smith, Decatur, Ill. 23 1 1969 Assistant Examiner-David R. Matthews [45] Patented g 25 l971 AttorneyCushman, Darby & Cushman 9 [7 3] Assignee Mueller Co. Decatur, lll.

ABSTRACT: A wrench or tool, of the type disclosed in US. patents to Mueller et al., No. 2,829,429, granted Apr. 8, 1958 and Smith No. 3,038,484 granted June 12, 1962, and wherein the rod portion, which is operatively connectable to the part, or structure to be manipulated, in the pressure chamber, is detachably connected to the piston-carrying plunger and a tubular sleeve is also detachably connected to the plunger in surrounding relation to the rod portion defining an annular passageway communicating with a chamber on one side of the piston whereby pressure from the region being worked will be utilized to assist positioning and operation of the wrench. The rod portion is solid, and the tubular sleeve is arranged coaxially therewith.

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tfoxl/v If. BN1 7 fi l 9' ATTORNEY WRENCH BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS The present invention relates to wrenches or tools of the type disclosed in the Mueller et al. and Smith patents mentioned above. More specifically, it relates to wrenches or tools of the type designed to permit external manipulation of a part or structure in a chamber or region under fluid pressure, while maintaining the pressure within the chamber and permitting the wrench to be attached to the structure defining the pressure chamber or removed therefrom, as desired, without loss of pressure.

Wrenches of the type under consideration may be used in connection with plugging high-pressure pipes, as suggested in the aforementioned Mueller et al. patent, or in connection with removing perforating or piercing tools from a service T connected to a service main in pressurized fluid systems, as suggested in the aforementioned Smith patent. Such wrenches may also be used for driving perforating tools, such as disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,839,075, 3,229,704, 3,264,907 and 3,272,211, into a service main and removing them, as will be appreciated. Other uses for such wrenches will also be evident.

Wrenches of the type disclosed in the aforesaid Mueller et al. and Smith patents essentially comprise a hollow barrel member particularly designed to be detachably connected to a system under fluid pressure when some work is desired to be performed in the pressurized system, and a unitary plunger is provided for rotation and reciprocation within the barrel member. One end of the unitary plunger extends externally of the barrel member for manipulation by a suitable tool, and the other end of the unitary plunger is designed as a rod portion provided with a central, axial bore therein, with the free end of the rod portion being of noncircular, transverse sectional configuration for releasable operative connection in a complementarily shaped recess in a part or tool in the pressure chamber to be moved or manipulated.

The purpose for the bore in the rod portion is to permit transfer of fluid pressure from the system under pressure to the chamber above the piston in the barrel member, to assist in the movements and operation of the plunger when the wrench is connected to a service T or the system to be worked upon, as will be understood.

The wrenches disclosed in the aforesaid Mueller et al. and Smith patents, while satisfactory for the purposes intended, have required a drilling or like operation toprovide the bore in the rod portion, and this adds to the manufacturing costs. Furthermore, the provision of this bore will understandably weaken the end of the rod portion engageable to the tool or plug within the pressure chamber. Under some circumstances, for example, where the wrench is used over a considerable period of time under high stress conditions, the free end of the rod portion may break or fracture. As will be appreciated, if such breakage occurs, the entire plunger in the tool, being of unitary construction, would have to be replaced.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure-balanced wrench or tool, of the type under consideration, less expensive to manufacture, of stronger and more robust construction, yet of such design as to facilitate repair or replacement of the operating parts, as desired.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to make the unitary plunger, in tools of the type disclosed in the aforementioned Mueller et al. and Smith patents, of threepiece construction whereby the rod portion thereof may be conveniently removed and replaced, as desired, for example, in the event of breakage. This will eliminate the need for removal and replacement of the entire plunger, in the event the rod portion needs replacement after being in use.

A related object is to design the rod portion, in wrenches of the type under consideration, of solid construction providing a stronger and more robust tool.

In the illustrative embodiment of the invention, to be described in more detail hereinbelow, a sleeve is provided in surrounding relation to the rod portion, in wrenches of the type under consideration, and both the sleeve and rod portion are detachably connected to the plunger carrying the piston in the barrel member. An annular passageway is defined between the tubular sleeve and rod portion, in communication with the chamber above the piston in the barrel member, whereby operations and movements of the plunger will be facilitated or assisted by the fluid pressure in the chamber or region being worked, as suggested in the aforesaid Mueller et al. and Smith patents. The plunger is provided with a blind hole or bore to detachably receive the rod portion, and the sleeve is threaded into an end of the plunger in enclosing relation to the rod por tion. Suitable means are provided for detachably connecting the wrench to the structure to be worked upon whereby operations may be performed in the region or chamber under pressure by external manipulation of the wrench and while maintaining the pressure in the system.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view partly in axial section of a wrench construction embodying the present invention and shown in operative connection to an exemplary fluid pressure system with which it may be used, the latter being illustrated in phantom lines; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, the illustrative embodiment of the wrench there shown is indicated generally by reference numeral 20, and includes a hollow barrel member 22, plunger 24, rod portion 26 and tubular sleeve 28 connected together and arranged as shown. The outer or free end of the plunger 24 is suitably designed, as by being formed with flats 30 or the like thereon, for releasable operative engagement to a suitable operating handle 32 or the like, as will be understood.

The wrench 20 is adapted to be detachably engaged to a system under pressure for performing operations involving movement of parts or tools therein while maintaining the pressure in the system. An exemplary system to which the wrench may be utilized is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 1 as including a main or pipe line 34 and a service T 36 connected thereto as by welding 38, and extending radially therefrom. In this case, the through bore 40 of the service T is threaded, and a perforating tool 42 is shown as being arranged therein for engagement by the rod portion 26 of the wrench. This perforating tool 42 may be of any suitable design, such as disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 2,839,075, 3,038,484, 3,229,704, 3,264,907 and 3,272,2l I, mentioned above, and is used for the purpose of perforating or piercing the main 34 in connection with providing additional service lines and connections, as will be understood. As indicated above, it will be evident that the wrench of the present invention may be used for manipulation of other tools or parts, such as the plugs disclosed in the aforesaid Mueller et al. patent, and in systems under fluid pressure other than those indicated in the patents mentioned above.

The barrel member 22 is shown as being of elongated, circularly cylindrical configuration, enlarged at one end 44 thereof for reception of a nut 46 designed and adapted to be detachably connected to suitable structure in the system being worked upon, as by being screwed on to the end of the service T 36, as shown in FIG. 1. A setscrew 48 may be used for locking the nut 46 in position.

The plunger 24 is shown as including a shaft portion 50 extending through the other end 52 of the barrel 22, and suitable sealing means, in the form of an O-ring 54 is shown as being provided in an annular recess in the barrel member for sealing engagement to the shaft 50 of the plunger. A piston means 56 is provided on the inner end of the plunger 24, and it is shown as carrying an O-ring seal 58 in engagement with the interior walls of the barrel member 22. Thus the plunger 24 is reciprocable and rotatable in the barrel member.

The rod portion 26 is shown in FIG. 2 as being hexagonally shaped in transverse section and detachably secured in a bore 60 in the plunger, as by setscrews 62, 64. The rod portion 26 is of suitable length to engage in a complementarily shaped recess formed in the tool or part 52, as will be understood. The sleeve 28 is shown as surrounding rod 26 in spaced, substantially coextensive relation therewith. Preferably it is screwed into a counterbore 64 formed in the plunger 24, and a suitable sealing means in the form of an O-ring 66 is shown as being disposed between a flange on the sleeve and the piston means 56. Sleeve 28 is shown as slidably engaging an O-ring seal 68 disposed in the nut 46, and it is of sufficient length so that it is in sealing engagement with ring 68 at all times, even when the plunger 24 is fully withdrawn, as shown in FIG, 1.

It will be seen that there is provided a first chamber 70 on one side of the piston 56, and a second chamber 72 on the other side of the piston, in fluid isolation from each other. Chamber 72 is vented to the atmosphere through port 74 provided in the barrel member 22 and chamber 70 is in fluid communication with annular passageway 76 through a port 78 formed in the piston 56, as shown. The annular passageway 76 is provided between sleeve 28 and rod 26 whereby fluid under pressure may flow from the system being worked upon to the chamber 70 so that the operations of the wrench will be given a pressure assist, as will be evident.

Thus, when it is desired to use the wrench in the exemplary system shown, the nut 46 will be screwed on to the service T 36 and the handle 32 manipulated until the free end of rod portion 26 fits into the recess 80 in the perforating tool 42. The handle 32 may then be turned, and pushed downward, so as to move the externally threaded tool 42 down through the bore 40 to perforate the main 34, as will be understood. (At this time the stem 82 of the service T 36 may be either capped or already connected to additional lines for additional service, as will be understood.) Thereafter, when the tool 42 is being withdrawn back through the bore 40 of the T 36, pressure from the main 34 will flow into the bore 40 and through the annular passageway 76 and port 78 to chamber 70 to exert a downward force on the upper end of the piston 56. This will counterbalance or counteract the upward force on the plunger 24 caused by fluid pressure acting on the various parts, for ex ample, on the lower end surface of the sleeve 28 and on the upper surfaces of the counter bore 64 in the piston 56. As will be understood, the wrench will be designed so that the effect of the upward fluid pressure force on the plunger will be counterbalanced by the downward fluid pressure force on the piston 56 in chamber 70. lf desired, the design may be such that there is a slightly unbalanced fluid pressure force acting down to assure that the rod 26 will be retained in the tool 42 at all times, until a seal is made by the tool 42 at the upper end of bore 40 and it is desired to remove the wrench 20, as will be understood.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention provides a wrench design retaining the desirable pressurebalanced features of the wrenches disclosed in the Mueller et al. and Smith patents, mentioned above, while permitting the tool-engaging rod 26 to be of solid, stronger and more durable construction, and adapted to be more conveniently removed from the wrench and replaced, if desired.

While the wrench 20 is shown in a vertically extending operative position above the fluid system being worked upon, it will be evident that it may be utilized in a horizontal or any other desired position.

It thus will be seen that the objects of this invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It will be realized, however, that the foregoing specific embodiment has been shown and described only for the purpose of illustrating the principles of this invention and is subject to extensive change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims:

We claim: l. A device for external manipulation of a part within structure defining an internal pressure chamber, and while maintaining pressure within said chamber, said device comprising: a hollow barrel member having one end thereof adapted to be detachably connected in a fluidtight manner to said structure; plunger means including a first shaft member extending into one end of said barrel member and piston means sealingly, slidably engaging the interior surface of said barrel, first and second chambers in said barrel on either side of said piston means, said plunger means further including a tubular shaft member and a solid rod member, said solid rod member hav ing one end detachably connected to said first shaft member and extending generally axially therefrom, the other end of said rod member being adapted for detachable driving engagement to a part in said internal pressure chamber, said tubular shaft member extending from said piston means and surrounding said rod member forming therebetween an annular passageway, said annular passageway being in constant communication with said first chamber and being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with said internal chamber when said barrel member is attached thereto, and vent means for said second chamber.

2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein first sealing means are arranged between said barrel member and said first shaft member sealing said first chamber from the atmosphere while allowing reciprocable and rotatable movement of said first shaft member relative to said barrel member, and

second sealing means between said barrel member and said second shaft member sealing said second chamber from said internal pressure chamber while allowing rotatable and reciprocable movement of said second shaft member relative to said barrel member,

3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said second shaft member is detachably engaged with said piston means and said piston is integral with said first shaft member.

4. The structure defined in claim It wherein said first shaft includes a bore extending axially therein for receiving said one end of said rod member and wherein the other end of said rod member is of noncircular transverse sectional configuration for driving reception in a complementarily shaped recess in said part in said internal pressure chamber.

5. A wrench adapted to be connected to structure defining an internal pressure chamber for external manipulation of a part in said pressure chamber and while maintaining the pressure in said chamber, said wrench including: a hollow barrel member having means at one end thereof adapted to connect the barrel member to said structure in a fluidtight joint; a plunger extending into the other end of the barrel member; piston means carried by said plunger and slidably, sealingly engaging the interior of said barrel member, first and second fluid chambers being defined on either side of said piston means, a rod member detachably connected to said plunger, said rod member extending away from said plunger and said other end of said barrel member and terminating in a free end of noncircular transverse sectional configuration; a tubular sleeve carried by said plunger and surrounding said rod member to define therewith an annular passageway, means establishing continuous fluid communication between said passageway and said first chamber while isolating said second chamber from said passageway, and means for venting said second chamber to the atmosphere. 

1. A device for external manipulation of a part within structure defining an internal pressure chamber, and while maintaining pressure within said chamber, said device comprising: a hollow barrel member having one end thereof adapted to be detachably connected in a fluidtight manner to said structure; plunger means including a first shaft member extending into one end of said barrel member and piston means sealingly, slidably engaging the interior surface of said barrel, first and second chambers in said barrel on either side of said piston means, said plunger means further including a tubular shaft member and a solid rod member, said solid rod member having one end detachably connected to said first shaft member and extending generally axially therefrom, the other end of said rod member being adapted for detachable driving engagement to a part in said internal pressure chamber, said tubular shaft member extending from said piston means and surrounding said rod member forming therebetween an annular passageway, said annular passageway being in constant communication with said first chamber and being adapted to be placed in fluid communication with said internal chamber when said barrel member is attached thereto, and vent means for said second chamber.
 2. The device defined in claim 1 wherein first sealing means are arranged between said barrel member and said first shaft member sealing said first chamber from the atmosphere while allowing reciprocable and rotatable movement of said first shaft member relative to said barrel member, and second sealing means between said barrel member and said second shaft member sealing said second chamber from said internal pressure chamber while allowing rotatable and reciprocable movement of said second shaft member relative to said barrel member.
 3. The device defined in claim 1 wherein said second shaft member is detachably engaged with said piston means and said piston is integral with said first shaft member.
 4. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said first shaft includes a bore extending axially therein for receiving said one end of said rod member and whereiN the other end of said rod member is of noncircular transverse sectional configuration for driving reception in a complementarily shaped recess in said part in said internal pressure chamber.
 5. A wrench adapted to be connected to structure defining an internal pressure chamber for external manipulation of a part in said pressure chamber and while maintaining the pressure in said chamber, said wrench including: a hollow barrel member having means at one end thereof adapted to connect the barrel member to said structure in a fluidtight joint; a plunger extending into the other end of the barrel member; piston means carried by said plunger and slidably, sealingly engaging the interior of said barrel member, first and second fluid chambers being defined on either side of said piston means, a rod member detachably connected to said plunger, said rod member extending away from said plunger and said other end of said barrel member and terminating in a free end of noncircular transverse sectional configuration; a tubular sleeve carried by said plunger and surrounding said rod member to define therewith an annular passageway, means establishing continuous fluid communication between said passageway and said first chamber while isolating said second chamber from said passageway, and means for venting said second chamber to the atmosphere. 